Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or Brock Purdy

Sunday, January 4, 9:35 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is expected to handle increased volume with Wan'Dale Robinson (ribs) and Theo Johnson (illness) both sidelined against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Robinson is headed for his first absence of the season, and Johnson has only been inactive one other time. Therefore, we haven't yet seen what Slayton can do as Jaxson Dart's No. 1 target. However, we have seen glimpses of his upside. He caught a touchdown pass in Week 13, handled 10 targets in Week 15, and has played at least 87% of the snaps in two of his last three games. The bigger role comes at a perfect time for Slayton and his managers, as the Cowboys have surrendered the league's most yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Managers should feel comfortable deploying Slayton as a strong WR2 option in fantasy football as he handles a bigger workload and gets a very enticing matchup.

Friday, January 16, 3:24 PM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was far from perfect in his team's Wild Card Weekend win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The 26-year-old completed 18 of 31 pass attempts for 262 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. Dating back to the regular season, Purdy has now thrown an interception in four consecutive games. In the Divisional Round, San Francisco will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Seattle completely shut Purdy down in the regular season finale for both teams, holding Purdy to 19 of 27 passing for 127 yards, zero touchdowns, and a pick. The Seahawks defense was dominant throughout the regular season, finishing first in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0) and tied for seventh in sacks (47). Making matters worse for Purdy, he'll be without one of his top receiving weapons in tight end George Kittle (Achilles), who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the Wild Card Round. Given the matchup and San Francisco's depleted pass-catching corps, Purdy profiles as a quarterback for fantasy managers to avoid in the Divisional Round.